


Father Knows Best

by phantomthief_fee



Series: Saudade AU Fanworks [4]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Joey is a bad dad, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Saudade AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 02:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19879924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomthief_fee/pseuds/phantomthief_fee
Summary: Bendy's only existed for a few months and he's tired of being kept in one room. So he ventures out to find some friends, only to discover that the man he calls his father has been lying to him.





	Father Knows Best

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BornOfFire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BornOfFire/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Hopeful/Fearful (Saudade)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11808792) by [BornOfFire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BornOfFire/pseuds/BornOfFire). 



[@bornoffireandwisdom](https://tmblr.co/myH-MF-wbGw8vQixb2Vh0zA) asked for another story involving Bendy’s creation and eventual realization that Joey has been lying to him.

This version of Murray Hill belongs to [@circus-craze](https://tmblr.co/m_vPXc3ZA7vlQj-W5J7EIOg)

* * *

When Bendy was created, his world was very small. It consisted of himself, his dad, and his dad’s friend Uncle Murray. Well, Joey wasn’t _actually_ his dad, but he’d been the one to bring Bendy to life so Bendy called him ‘dad’. Bendy liked Joey a lot. Maybe even loved him. Joey had been the one to bring him to life, the one who told him stories of the one who’d truly created him, Henry. Bendy always loved hearing Joey’s stories about Henry. Henry sounded like such an amazing person, especially the way Joey talked about him.

“When can I meet Henry?” Bendy asked. Joey had been telling him another story about his and Henry’s childhood, which meant the little demon was curled up in Joey’s lap.

“Soon,” Joey said, patting Bendy between his horns. 

“But that’s what you always say,” Bendy whined. “It feels like I’m never gonna meet him!” He flopped back, rolling around while still on Joey’s lap. 

“You were only born a few months ago.” Joey laughed. “These things take time.” Bendy sighed loudly, flopping about even more.

“You’re adorable.” Joey tickled his stomach. Bendy squealed, curling up like a pillbug. Joey was the best. He was pretty much Bendy’s best friend. But that mostly because Bendy only really knew two people. Speaking of the other person he knew…

“Mr. Drew?” Murray poked his head into the room. 

“Uncle Murray!” Bendy clambered off of Joey’s lap to run over to Murray. Murray’s whole body tensed as Bendy wrapped his arms around the man’s legs. Bendy had never understood why Murray reacted that way to being called ‘Uncle Murray’. He always seemed so uncomfortable. 

“H-Hello, Bendy.” He smiled shakily. 

“What is it, Mr. Hill?” Joey asked. “I was in the middle of something.” Murray glanced from Bendy to Joey, wringing his hands. 

“Could I speak to you in the hallway, Mr. Drew?” He asked. Joey sighed heavily, getting up from the couch he’d shoved against the wall. 

“Very well.” He paused by Bendy on his way out, kneeling down and patting Bendy’s head again. “Stay here until I get back, okay?”

“But I want to explore,” Bendy said, grabbing Joey’s hand to stop him from leaving. “I’m getting bored! I don’t even have any friends!”

“I’ll make you a friend soon, Bendy,” Joey assured him. “But it takes time.” He removed his hand from Bendy’s and followed Murray out, closing the door behind him. Bendy pouted, collapsing onto the couch. 

“I’m bored!” He groaned, kicking his feet against the couch. Joey never let him go anywhere. Sure, Bendy had left this room before, but he was never allowed to go anywhere by himself. He always had to be with either Joey or Murray. Joey was fun and Murray let him play with his doctor tools sometimes, but it still got boring after a while. Not to mention, Murray always got really weird when he was around Bendy. Especially when Bendy started asking about the creatures he saw around the studio. Joey wouldn’t even tell him _why_ he couldn’t be by himself. 

“Don’t you trust me, Ben?” Joey always replied. “I have your best interests at heart.”

“I-I do trust you.” Bendy would say. “But-”

“Then take my word for it. I’m keeping you safe.” Joey always shut down any chance for argument. He would not allow Bendy to disagree with him. He told Bendy that the little demon would never survive without him. He needed Joey to keep him safe. Bendy knew Joey didn’t mean the cruel things he said sometimes. He loved Bendy. Right?

It was nearly half an hour before someone reentered the room. Bendy perked up, hoping it was Joey and that he’d finish his story. But it was only Murray.

“Where’s Joey?” Bendy asked, frowning.

“He’s…busy,” Murray said after a suspiciously long pause. “You’ll be spending some time with me for a little.”

“Aw. Okay.” Bendy’s shoulders slumped.

“It’ll be fun.” Murray smiled weakly. 

“Yeah, okay.” Bendy sighed dejectedly, sliding off the couch. 

Murray chewed on his lip as he watched Bendy skulk over to him. He couldn’t help but feel guilty whenever he was around the little demon. He didn’t deserve to be looked at with such trust and admiration. He didn’t deserve to be called “Uncle Murray”. Not after all he’d done, all he’d helped Joey do. 

“Uncle Murray?” 

“Hm?” He was jolted from his self-pity when Bendy tugged on the hem of his lab coat. The little demon had long since learned that Murray didn’t like it when he tried to hold his hand. 

“What is it, Bendy?” He tried to put on a cheery face. It very clearly looked forced. 

“Who are those people you keep in your room?” Bendy asked, head tilted innocently to the side. “I’ve seen Dad talking to them too. They’re all weird and goopy. Who are they?” Immediately, Murray stiffened. This wasn’t the first time Bendy had asked about the Searchers. He should have had a pre-prepared response by now. But he still panicked.

“Have I told you that we’re working on making Boris?” Murray hastily opened the door to his lab. “You won’t be alone for much longer, I promise.” 

“Really?” Bendy perked up, eyes shining with wonder and hope. 

“Really.” Murray relaxed a little, ushering Bendy in. “But I’m still having a little bit of trouble nailing down the right design for him. Do you want to give me something to work off of? No one knows Boris better than you.”

“Oh! Yeah!” Bendy nodded enthusiastically. “I can do that!” 

“Well.” Murray handed him a piece of paper and a pencil. “Why don’t you draw me the best picture of Boris you can?” 

Bendy kept nodding, sitting down and starting to doodle. His tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as he concentrated. Murray breathed an internal sigh of relief. That was one crisis averted, at least for the moment. But he knew it wouldn’t distract Bendy for too terribly long. Bendy was a curious creature, and much smarter than Joey gave him credit for. It would be impossible to keep him away from the horrors of the studio forever. 

Sure enough, the first chance Bendy got, he snuck out to explore the studio. Murray and Joey had gone rushing off because of something that had happened, giving Bendy the opportunity to finally slip out. The little demon was giddy as he crept down the hallway, tail waving behind him. He was finally going to be able to see what was happening in the studio! However, his glee was short-lived. The studio he found was dark and decrepit, with an air of hopelessness and despair permeating the air. The messages written on the wall were hard to miss as well. 

**_I don’t want to work here anymore._ **

**_The Creator lied to us._ **

**_He will set us free._ **

“What’s going on?” Bendy whispered, hugging himself. “Why’s everything so dead?” The studio had never looked like this when he’d walked through it with Joey or Murray. 

As he ventured down a darkened corridor, he came face to face with one of the inky creatures he saw Joey talking to so often. It appeared from a puddle, looking only barely like a human. Well, the upper half of a human at least. Bendy screamed and scrambled back. At the sound of his scream, more started popping up from the puddles. They moaned and groaned, advancing on him, grasping at him with their skeletal hands. Bendy screamed even louder and ran. He ran until his legs couldn’t carry him anymore and he collapsed. 

“What-What are those things?” He whimpered, curling up in a ball. He was in a flooded hallway underground now. It was probably actually something like a sewer. But Bendy didn’t care. He’d just wanted to get away. He laid there for a long time, sniffling and whimpering. 

Then he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He looked up, only to find one of those creatures standing over him, watching him with its glowing yellow eyes. Once more, he screamed, scrambling away. The inky creature didn’t seem startled by his yelling, tilting its head curiously to the side. It looked like it was wearing a hat. No, it **was** wearing a hat.

“Who…Who are you?” Bendy asked once he managed to regain his composure. 

“ ** _Ja…ck…_** ” The creature replied. Unlike the others, it didn’t seem like it was going to hurt him. **_He_** didn’t seem like he was going to hurt him.

“Well, uh, it’s nice to meet you, Jack.” Bendy awkwardly stuck his hand out. Jack didn’t shake his hand, just smiled at him. At least, Bendy was pretty sure he was smiling. It was hard to tell, since Jack didn’t really have much in the way of facial features. 

“So…What’re you doing down here?” Bendy asked. “Seems kinda dingy.”

“ ** _Sa…fe…_** ” Jack said. “ ** _Home._** ”

“This is your home?” 

Jack nodded enthusiastically. He seemed delighted to have someone else there to show his ‘home’ to. He dragged over to a little alcove with a desk and violin, pointing excitedly at everything. His speech capabilities were limited, but Bendy liked him anyway. He seemed nice. 

“Can you play this thing?” Bendy asked, picking up the violin. “I’d think it’d be hard with your goopy hands.” 

Jack made a so-so gesture. “ ** _Hard._** ” 

“You think I could play?” Bendy wiggled his eyebrows, placing it under his chin. Jack looked at Bendy then looked at the violin. One would think it would be hard to make an incredulous look when one lacked distinct facial features, but Jack was certainly managing it. 

“I could do it!” Bendy insisted, puffing out his chest. Jack’s expression grew even more incredulous. 

“Ugh. Fine.” Bendy rolled his eyes, putting it down. “Party pooper.” He had to admit, he was having a lot of fun. He didn’t want to go back to Joey. Joey had been keeping something from him. He was sure of it now. Both Murray and Joey had been keeping things from him. These creatures, he was sure they had been people once. Jack had definitely been a person, judging from the tape on his desk. 

“Hey, Jack?” Bendy sat down on the ledge of the alcove. “How did you get like that?” Jack stared quizzically at him. 

“I mean, you used to be a person, right?” Bendy gestured to the tape. Jack nodded slowly. 

“ ** _Do…n’t…know…_** ” He said. “ ** _Fell…asl…eep…Then…this…_** ” 

“How’d the others get like this?” Bendy could hear his heart pounding in his nonexistent ears. He wasn’t going to like whatever the answer was. And yet, he felt like he already knew. Jack hesitated, starting to melt a little. 

“ ** _Jo…ey…_** ” He whispered. “ ** _Did…bad…thi…ngs…_** ” Bendy stared down into the ink river below him. 

“I’ll be back later.” He got up, smiling back at Jack. Jack waved weakly, watching as Bendy disappeared up the stairs. Bendy strode with purpose through the halls. His ‘dad’ had a lot of explaining to do.


End file.
